Measure for measure, the smart choice

How do you measure cost of living? There are the traditional benchmarks, like the national average: Valdosta-Lowndes aces that—4.1% less than the national average with housing prices 13.1% less than the national average for metropolitan areas. Living better begins at home when the home is Valdosta.

And there are other ways Valdosta-Lowndes stretches your budget, such as offering a wide range of choices in both housing and education allowing you the flexibility to more easily suit your needs. There’s also an abundance of area recreational attractions allowing you to “get away” without going away, and, when you are ready to travel, a location that puts major destinations within easy reach.

Another vital measure: Even as costs remain low, Valdosta wages are continuing to grow at a healthy rate—so healthy that in 2011 according to U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics (analyzed by Toronto’s Martin Prosperity Institute), Valdosta ranked in the nation’s Top 10 in Overall Metros with the largest average annual increase in wages and salaries. Valdosta means real value, not just low costs.